Robert Griffin III witnesses novel fight at Redskins minicamp

Redskins QB Robert Griffin III (10) remain more composed than some of his teammates in the Ashburn, Va., heat Tuesday. (Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)

ASHBURN, Va. — Intrasquad skirmishes during the NFL’s offseason are old hat.

But Washington Redskins DE Doug Worthington took a beef with a teammate to a different level at Tuesday’s minicamp when he pried the facemask loose from the helmet of OL Mike McGlynn during a chippy moment in the muggy heat of suburban Washington.

“Yeah, there was a helmet thrown. I’ve never seen a guy take another guy’s facemask off his helmet,” said Redskins QB Robert Griffin III. “That was impressive. But emotions are high, guys are ready to go. We’ve been at it for a while now. … I like it, I like the intensity.

And there’s the rub. Per the CBA, the Redskins are practicing in shorts and helmets, which can be particularly difficult for aggressive linemen like Worthington and McGlynn as they try to execute their assignments without hitting one another.

After eliciting a round of laughter from reporters, Gruden continued: “We’re all guilty of a little trash talking. Pushing and shoving I’m not going to do. We don’t condone that, but sometimes competitive players push and shove. We’ve just got to avoid that.”

And that can be especially difficult for the largest men on the field.

“It’s very difficult for them to handle these shorts, these practices without pads,” Gruden said in reference to the big guys in the trenches. “You tell them stay off the ground and don’t hold and don’t grab. But you tell them have great pad level and be physical, and it’s hard to do that in shorts. I think in order to get a great look at the offensive and defensive line play, you’ve got to put the pads on.”

That won’t be a problem when the Redskins open training camp in Richmond, Va., next month. And as the temperatures rise and the contact becomes live, expect a few more episodes of intentional friendly fire.